Howard Batt-Attorney

When you are out of work due to an injury, who do you turn to when your workers compensation has been denied? If you’re in the state of New Jersey and you are seeking workers compensation to help you to keep your house and family safe and your bills paid until you get back to work, you need the assistance of an advocate who will work hard in defense of your rights.
Workers compensation can be difficult to achieve and quite often navigation of the court system is difficult for those who may not know the laws. Having a strong advocate who is conversant with the New Jersey workers compensation law can help you to achieve the compensation that you deserve. Howard Batt, your New Jersey workers compensation Attorney can help you to obtain your workers compensation in New Jersey.

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Night vision goggles are very easy to use

Night vision basically means that you can see at night or at low light conditions as well. You can either use the biological or technical equipments that can help you in viewing different things when there is an insufficient light. They work by helping you out with the combination of two approaches, such as spectral or intensity range. This is because human eye is unable to see at night, unless there is enough availability for of light. Animals have the ability to see different objects at night but humans can’t see it. Therefore, if humans want to see different objects at night, you can take the help of different night vision equipments, such as Night Vision Goggles that are very similar to the simple goggles and are very easy to use and handle. But you just need to make sure that you are following the instructions properly after reading all the instructions.

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Selecting Good Quality Chess Sets is Extremely Important!

Chess has gained an immense popularity in the recent times. It has been started ages ago and nowadays, everyone likes playing it. You don’t need to make any preparation for a game of chess because you can play it inside your home and you only need chessboard and Chess Sets to play this game properly. The set has 16 pieces that are moved around the 64 squared checker-boards. There are different national and international tournaments as well, such as World Chess Championship, World Championship, Women’s World Championship, Junior World Championship, the World Senior Championship, Chess Olympiad and the World Computer Chess Championship. This shows that chess has become extremely famous amongst everyone. It is not only the favorite game of adults but it is equally liked by kids and teens as well. But please make sure that you are buying a high quality chessboard that could use for a longer period of time.

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Improve Your Security By Adding Night Vision Technology

If you look at a lot of different Security Systems, many have already started implementing night vision cameras.  Night vision cameras are very similar to night vision goggles, it helped the cameras see in complete darkness.  What this helps do is eliminate the area around the camera to provide a crisp and clear picture when there is limited visibility.  This can stop and catch criminals and action, and a lot of times provides a fairly good picture.  You’re not going to see anything in other colors, as it will mostly be shown in of green or gray tint.  This has to deal with the infrared spectrum and the limitations of the technology.  Not every night vision goggles offer a lot clearer picture, but they’re also more advanced.  It is estimated that this new technology will soon be implemented into security cameras to better protect and observe areas that need to be protected at the evening or where there is little to no light.

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So Many Errands to Run

I have a whole lot of things to do today. As a matter of fact, i have so much to do that i feel like my head is swimming. I do not know where to even begin. I have to first go out and take care of my bills. Oh, i hate thinking about bills. I have so many bills to pay. When the bills are all taken care of, i am going to go to our local Toys R Us store to look at toddler beds. Mary is of age where she can sleep in one now. I am thinking about getting her the Pooh bed, since Pooh is one of her favorite characters. After picking up the toddler bed for Mary, I have to get groceries, since food was running low.

I do not know why i am sitting here writing all of this. I just need to get off of my butt and get out there to take care of business. Putting it off is not going to get it done any faster.

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Laura Rewards Her Sons with Chess Sets

Laura Goodwin bought chess sets for both of her sons. She did this because they got good grades on their report cards. The children got straight A’s to be exact. They are doing well academically, as school is such a breeze for them. And because they do so well, Laura always rewards them. She feels that it is important to acknowledge their hard work. 

When Laura’s sons received the chess sets, with really special chess pieces, they were elated. They would so happy that their mom got them such a gift, since they were both really into chess. The boys loved chess so much that they were even members of the chess club at school. They were total enthusiasts.

At the end of the school year, the boys get to go to the chess conventions. These conventions are also rewards for working hard all through the school year. The boys love these chess conventions because they get to bring their friends along and play chess to their heart’s content.

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Medieval Chess Sets

As the name suggests, these are among the earliest chess sets. Medieval refers to the period between 5th century in which the Western Roman Empire fell and the early 16th century in which explorations, discoveries and civilization started spreading to the whole world. The medieval chess sets often include horses, castles, dragons, wizards and knights. They are among the board games which are most popular. You will easily find them in many online sites. The medieval chess set pieces are either made of pewter or resin. In most cases, the pieces feature accents like gold, silver or crystals. Medieval chess sets are broadly categorized under fantasy chess sets which allow the chess player to play this game with his or her imagination while at the same time giving lie to those characters which push the ‘reality’ limits. These chess sets are ranked among the most stunning and beautiful. Their display is superb and they bring lots of excitement to the chess game.

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Volunteerism is making a difference to the organizations-Nilsa Fleury

Nilsa asked:




Encouraging people to become a volunteer provides a great opportunity to make our society better and motivate people to develop their skills and experience. The most organizations are developing this activity among their employees as a kind of incentive for each one and help to build and perform the team work.

In my personal life, I never had an opportunity to become a volunteer since I find decided to find a non-profit organization and become a counselor. This was a great goal for my professional life help the community. In this time I could figure out other’s problems, help them to clarify their decisions and minimize my own problems. Again, I want to apply everything that I learned in any non-profit organization to increase my skills and spiritual life. As a leader of a group, facilitator, coach or mentor, I felt more human and made my soul better.

Volunteer is one way to increase our abilities and shows how organizations can help in different areas and train their employees in a positive direction.

Research conducted by Washington DC.( Hewlett,2009) describes people who had a heart attack help others to minimize their problems. Consequently they could reduce their depression and incidents of the disease occurring again.

Becoming a volunteer is an opportunity to learn new skills and develop a network with the participants. I personally knew great people in this activity, and I think it will be a good experience for the next time.

For example, Cisco with its philanthropic and social events, develops its leadership program by a rigorous selection, which requires specific expertise of its employees and gives them the opportunity to improve their managerial and technical skills. Moreover, Cisco and others great companies, help non-profit organizations and improve their employees skills, such as leadership, cooperation, negotiation, decision-making and team building  to open new opportunities for their own business.

Reinforcing the idea that “volunteerism is one the ways that the companies lives its corporate values” ( Noe, Hollenbeck, Gehart & Wright, 2010, p.29), many corporations have improved their employees’ skills and help people by creating charities and being innovate  with new opportunities for their own business.

Cisco, British Telecom, Wal-Mart, General Mills, Novartis are good examples of companies working with volunteerism in different areas such as health, environment, and communities to improve their employees’ performance.

In developing talented managers, volunteerism can be seen as a key of sorts which companies can use to open their doors and make solutions on sides, external and internal, training employees and serving people of our community.

Creativity, Innovation, cooperation and other necessary skills have improved employees making them a share market between the organization and the community.

I agree and believe that volunteerism can bring great opportunities for my career and personal life, which makes me capable of applying what I have learned in theory, practice and will help me perform better in the future. I also feel that I can develop my spiritual life by helping people and learning from different cultures.

Volunteerism is a great idea to train employees and benefit the community with services, charity donations, and support. The organizations that work with volunteerism have received from their employee’s better teamwork skills, better communication, more cooperation, experience, creativity, innovation, a better environment and added values, which bring to their companies new opportunities in business.



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Parenting College Students – Volunteerism Boosts Job Prospects

Dr. Debi Yohn asked:




Parenting your college student how to think out side of themselves can be a daunting task. This may especially be difficult if this is a new concept to them. It actually is very easy if your student has been exposed to community service through out their childhood. As your child enters the transformation period from immature teenager into emerging adult there can be some resistance. Parenting “to give first” so that they “may receive later” is a lesson that is best taught by example.

It can be surprising that teenagers and college students actually enjoy community service and do it well. This is demonstrated by Fraternities and Sororities who donate over 10 Million service hours per year. This is the largest network of volunteers in the U.S.A. That’s pretty cool.

If you have been a positive role model for your child over the first seventeen years of your student’s life, then the foundation for volunteerism as a way to give to those less fortunate is already in place. It is actually enjoyable to do community service as a family. Many families take on a project or adopt another family to help. This is a wonderful way to instill volunteerism.

When parenting college students on the benefits of volunteerism, Moms and Dads can give specific examples of how the volunteer work they were involved in during their own college or early adult years enhanced their sense of self-worth and self-esteem. Additionally, the meaningful volunteer activities may have kept them focused and away from such self-destructive behaviors as binge drinking and late night parties. The results may also have led to individual excellence and outstanding scholarship in course accreditation.

Parenting College Students – Volunteer Opportunities

In parenting college students, parents need to remind their children that they should always be building their resume. There is no reason to have a blank resume on graduation. If you have not had work experience, then fill that resume with volunteer experiences. Volunteer experience is looked upon favorably during the evaluation of resumes for employment. Potential employers look at volunteers favorably. Everyone looks on volunteers favorably.

Volunteering is more that improving your resume, it is making a difference, giving back, meeting different people and finding out, it just feels good. That’s why students and adults alike should always be involved in a volunteer project.

When exploring the campus, parents can help students find volunteer centers. Usually there are plenty of posters advertising requests for volunteers. Getting involved is a great way to meet a different group of students. Campuses are so large, you could be missing the opportunity to meet that best friend who goes to class on the other side of campus.

The Student Activity Center and school bulletin boards are great sources of information of groups looking for volunteer assistance. The school disability office is another center located on campus that needs volunteers. They need note takers and office workers. You will discover this amazing group of people.

Parenting College Students – Volunteerism is a Winning Strategy

The non-profit sector presents many opportunities for college students not only to devote their time and talents to the needy, but also to gain insight and discover an interest in a field of endeavor. In discussions parents can share with their children how many a career has been initiated by volunteering for a cause. Reading to a developmentally disabled adult or child with special needs could very well nurture a burgeoning interest in the field of service to the disabled.

Parents can emphasize that they value volunteering one’s services for a worthwhile cause, whether it is the Habitat for Humanity, local church or synagogue, or the neighborhood community. We know employers like to see a person’s character outlined in the resume, and we know volunteerism is a sure way to impress a potential employer. Volunteerism is also an exceptional way to transfer familial core values from concept into action.

To be a volunteer is an important part of the maturation cycle. A student grows as a person, makes social contacts that are meaningful and they learn that making a difference feels good. The by product is, Always Be Building Your Resume.



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Advantages of Becoming a Volunteer

Vaibhav Aggarwal asked:




Registering yourself as a volunteer is a great feeling. A volunteer is a person who deliberately works for the benefit of the society or the natural environment. Importantly, it is a non-paid work and purely depends upon the wishes of a volunteer only. Nowadays, due to awareness and understanding of duty, people are coming forward to offer their volunteer work in many areas of human service, making the concept of volunteer service popular day-by-day.

Need for Volunteer

Why do we need volunteers? Volunteer offers services without any desire of getting paid or recognized. This noble service has developed a sense of brotherhood, duties towards mankind and helping motives among people. That is why, volunteer service is always required. Becoming a volunteer helps to establish greater understanding of emotions and problems of life. Becoming a volunteer gives you to get a chance to help others in every way you want to. It further enables a person to know causes of the emerging problems to find a better solution. Furthermore, giving yourself for volunteer causes may help you to discover different cultures. Suppose, you have chosen a volunteer work in foreign land, you can actually the distinctiveness of that land, its people and its specialties.

For becoming a volunteer, you can associate with any non-profit organization volunteer. These organizations will provide you adequate service opportunities to fulfill your self-actualization goals. Being an organized volunteer, you can interact with many other like-minded people and share your heart. Many non-profit organization works globally to offer relief works in all over the world. Being a global volunteer not only gives recognition but also experiences of working in different conditions and cultures.

If you are not sure about the social commitment of a full time volunteer, you can choose the option of an opportunity volunteer. These volunteers work on emergency and contribute with their support.

For bringing a change and making your life more meaning and interesting, choosing a voluntary service can be really useful. It gives you fun and in-depth satisfaction of serving mankind.



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How You Can Feel Good Simply by Helping Others

Ronnie Nijmeh asked:




It’s very easy to get caught up in our own to-do lists and never-ending activities, but one of the best things you can do is to help other people. This forces you to step outside yourself and see the world through another person’s eyes. Why is this important? When you help others you have the opportunity to learn new things, and you also have a chance to see just how see how blessed you are for everything in your life, even the not so good things.

By using positive affirmations, you can find the motivation to help others on a regular basis and experience that special feeling of fulfillment. When you are able to genuinely give a helping hand, it will be a very fulfilling experience. If you feel like you are too busy or that no one in your life needs your help, sorry to say it, but you’re clearly mistaken!

Give a Helping Hand and Feel Good About Yourself

We all have busy lives, but if we stopped and helped others a little more often, we would live a much more fulfilling life and build that sense of community that we have long lost.

Think about how many times you have driven by your neighbors house where the trashcans are still laying out after trash day, why not give your neighbor a helping hand? Wouldn’t you like that in return?

Or, consider things closer to home such as helping your spouse iron their clothes for work or helping out with other chores around the house. You have opportunities in your every day life to help people and feel good about yourself and positive affirmations can remind you of this.

Relationship affirmations are simply statements that summarize the type of behavior that you would like to exhibit. A simple affirmation in this circumstance may be, “A helpful friend is an indispensable and fulfilled friend. I am that person!” Sounds simple, right? It is! If you repeat the affirmations several times a day you will make it a reality in your thoughts and actions. Who doesn’t want to be considered indispensable and fulfilled?

Positive affirmations are easy to start using and they will cost you absolutely nothing. Free positive affirmations are widely available, including in the resource box at the end of this article. You can also make your own affirmations, so long as they are positive and in the present tense.

When you believe in affirmations you are giving yourself permission and the power to change your life. Instead of simply standing by and watching those in your life struggle with something, you can cut their burden in half and chip in and help get things done. After all, what good are your skills and talents if you hoard them all to yourself!

Helping doesn’t even mean that you have to go out of your way; it just means that when you have those opportunities that you seize them and make someone’s life easier.

We all pass up opportunities to help other people each day. How many times have you seen someone drop something and you just keep going? Or what about the person who is lost and unsure of directions? These are simple situations where you could help out and if you are missing that fulfillment in your life, you can begin by creating a positive state of mind through affirmations.

Through positive affirmations you can develop better relationships with the people around you and you’ll also feel fulfilled in a way that you may have never been before. Free positive affirmations give you the opportunity to enrich your life in new ways every day.



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National Launch of Hundreds of Outstanding Online Volunteers

Serena Du asked:




National Launch of Hundreds of Outstanding Online Volunteers

 

The article tells us the outstanding chosen by people online. From late October, the Joint Foundation of Volunteer Service Guangming Daily, the Chinese civilization, network, People’s Daily, Xinhua, Guangming Wang, CCTV networks, and organized hundreds of outstanding volunteers across the country recommended activities online, 56.21 million Internet users turnout. As of December 4, recommended the 100 outstanding volunteers.

It is understood that the activities recommended by the outstanding volunteers, all from the volunteer service line, from the people around, the long-term volunteer service activities, volunteers have a strong representation and advanced, widespread in the community influence and appeal. They personally socialist concept of honor, have a strong sense of social responsibility and dedication, especially in the Expo volunteer service, volunteer service and caring Asian empty-nesters volunteer service activities, deeds of prominent people recognized. They convey their true feelings righteous deed, with love and devotion to the socialist interpretation of the requirements of morality is an advocate of good social practice is the propagator of socialist spiritual civilization and practitioners.

Hundreds of outstanding volunteers in the country recommended course of activities online, the organizers pay attention to adhere to the mass standard, based on the primary recommendation of candidates to the recommended method of online voting, so that produce outstanding volunteers his dear trusted to learn. Adhere to an open, fair and just principles, key news websites in the central column in thematic focus on displaying the candidate’s deeds and spiritual outlook of the Chinese civilization network, CCTV network to facilitate production of specialized users voting page to vote, Guangming Daily and the Chinese civilization, network, People’s Daily, Xinhua, Guangming Wang, CCTV network publicity excellent list of volunteers, to ensure public confidence in recommended activities. Column in the Guangming Daily published outstanding volunteer deeds, China Central Television, “about” section of the production of special programs to display outstanding volunteer style. Adhere to the focusing process, in your actions, give full play to recommend active role in promoting the incentive to study and publicize outstanding volunteers throughout, and in promoting the Civilization Office to “do good, long kind, good person,” as the theme, and organized a variety of practice, to intensify access to volunteer ideas, promote volunteerism and foster volunteer culture, and create a “glorious as a volunteer, doing volunteer service honor” a thick atmosphere, a strong impetus to the whole society to care, support and participate in a lively situation in the formation of voluntary service and development.



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8 Ways You Can Volunteer And Get Involved In Your Community

Shelly Hill asked:




When it comes to getting involved in your local community and doing some volunteer work, there are many things that you can do. I feel it’s important to figure out how much time you can donate and what really interests you, before signing up for the volunteer work.

Here are 8 ideas you might want to consider.

1. The Local Library – Contact your neighborhood public library and offer to come in and read books to children. Our library is always looking for a few good volunteers.

2. Community Clean Up Days – Twice a year we help to organize a neighborhood clean-up day. Call your local center to see about a program in your area.

3. Meals On Wheels Programs – Does your area have a local Meals On Wheels Program? If so, call in and offer your help. There are thousands of seniors who need hot and healthy meals delivered to them on a daily or weekly basis.

4. Habitat For Humanity – This is a well-known national program that you can get involved in. You don’t need to be a professional carpenter, painter or plumber. Call them up and get involved.

5. The American Red Cross and Salvation Army – If you have a local chapter in your area, they are always looking for a few good volunteers to do a variety of tasks.

6. Public Parks and Recreations Department – Do you enjoy spending time outdoors? If so, this would be a great group to get involved in. Contact your local agency and see what is available and where they need some help.

7. Cancer Treatment Centers – If you are handy with a sewing machine and enjoy sewing, contact your local cancer treatment centers or physician’s offices who treat cancer patients. You could spend a few afternoons sewing up some chemo caps (hats) and donate them to your local centers. Cancer patients really appreciate them.

8. Local Hospitals – The majority of hospitals across the nation have some type of volunteer program. Hospitals need volunteers to help transport patients around the hospital, to bring deliveries of balloons and flowers to the patient’s rooms, deliver the newspaper and other helpful…but small tasks.

As a busy mother and wife, I still enjoy finding the time to get out into my community and doing some volunteer work. I feel it’s important to give back and to pay it forward.



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I’m a Senior Citizen, so Why Should I Volunteer?

G. J. Rigdon asked:




Are you looking for a challenge or some meaning to put into your retirement? Why not consider the act of volunteering. Volunteerism is a great opportunity to get involved with your local community. After all, we could only go on so many vacations per year, and watching too much TV will eventually deteriorate our minds. Why not put your in-depth of experience and knowledge to use, there are thousands of organizations and groups from Nevada to New York city that offer community service possibilities for volunteers age 50 and older.

 

Currently more the 3,200 seniors in Nevada give of their valuable time and effort thru The Senior Corps of Nevada. The Senior Corps has been around for more then 30 years, and offers opportunities for Foster Grandparent programs, senior companion programs, and retired and senior volunteer programs.

 

Do you realize that we are in an epidemic; the number of fatherless and motherless children is becoming more and more prevalent in today’s society. The foster grandparent program offers seniors 60 and over who are on a limited income the opportunity to become a mentor, loving caregiver, or even a tutor. As a senior citizen you have a lot to offer the youth of America. Your valuable life experience and knowledge can help turn a child’s life around for the positive.

 

With The Senior Corps of Nevada you will find numerous opportunities to make use of your valuable time. The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program assists those who are ages 55 years and older. The program will match your knowledge and experience with current existing needs of the community. In other word if you are a retired school teacher then you may be placed where there is a need for and educator.

 

If you are religious and belong to a church organization you can volunteer your time to helping the church. Most medium size churches will openly welcome your assistance, from helping in Sunday school, fixing the water heater, or helping as an usher.

 

Do you have a passion for Sports? Do you find yourself watching Football or Basketball on a daily basis? Why not volunteer to become an assistant coach with your local little league team. Most youth sports have a hard time as it is trying to find a coach, so this would be a great vehicle for you to offer your time and love of sports to help make a lasting positive impression with the youth of your local community.

 

Do you have family or friends that are in need of assistance, you may want to devote your time to helping your very own family? Gardening is fun and beneficial both physically and mentally. You may be able to help your family with the yard a couple of hours a week. Just remember volunteering is not spending your money, volunteering is making use of your time, so be cautious of those that may try to take advantage of the situation.

 

Open up a little, get involved in your local community, nothing feels more satisfying then volunteering for a good cause. Your life experiences and knowledge are priceless. Even just a twenty minute conversation could make a world of a difference in someone’s life.

 



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5 Reasons I Love To Volunteer

Roger Carr asked:




As a volunteer, you don’t get paid for donating your time. However, there are benefits in it for you and me when we’re unselfish in giving our time to benefit others.

The following are five major reasons why I choose to volunteer. Although I don’t receive a check in the mail for my help, these reasons are more motivating than money.

1. I Love Supporting a Cause I Care About

We see and experience things everyday that scream for our help.

God has given me a passion regarding some of them. This passion continues to motivate me to take action and make a difference.

Committing my time and energy to a cause that I am passionate about is energizing.

2. I Love Learning and Demonstrating New Skills

Two things that are important to me are:

* Continuously learning to improve myself

* Mentoring others by sharing my knowledge, skills and experiences to help others improve

Volunteering has allowed me many opportunities to do both.

Every volunteer experience has required me to learn and experience new things. I have discovered more about the causes I support. I have also learned and practiced new skills as I have participated in new ways.

Donating my time has also provided me many opportunities to mentor. Being a mentor to kids and to other volunteers continues to be very rewarding.

3. I Love Making New Friends

I’ve made a significant number of new friends through my volunteering efforts.

Some of the kindest people that I have met were employees and volunteers of nonprofit organizations.

This is not a coincidence. These are people who are willing to dedicate some of their time or even their career to making the world a better place.

These are the kind of friends that are worth meeting and keeping.

4. I Love the Great Feeling It Brings

Have you ever taken a meal to someone who was sick or paid for stranger’s cup of coffee for no reason at all? If you haven’t, give it a try. If you have, then you already know the great feeling you receive when doing something unselfish for someone else.

The feeling you get is no different when volunteering your time to a cause you are passionate about.

I feel great when I have the opportunity to help someone. In fact, I have found the feeling can be addictive. As I support an important cause with my time, I want to do even more to make a difference.

5. I Love Making a Difference

I want the way I live my life to make a difference. I know that you want that for yourself as well. Volunteering has provided me a significant way to do just that.

By donating just a portion of our time, we can:

* Make a difference in a person’s life

* Make the world a better place to live

* Have a long-lasting impact

You can find volunteer opportunities everywhere. Look for opportunities at schools, churches, parks, community organizations, political organizations and charities.

Get involved in something that you care about and start making a difference. You will be glad you did.



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Employee Volunteer Programs are Great for Business & Community

Maggie F. Keenan, Ed.D. asked:




Volunteerism is a great way for any size company to give back. Whether you are a solo entrepreneur or a large corporation, an employee volunteer program is a must for several reasons. The most important reason is it gives employees a stake in the company’s giving and it can even improve employee morale.

An employee volunteer program doesn’t have to be complex and time consuming. But, it should be leveraged against other assets for giving, which determines how you build this program. The employee volunteer program needs to also have the systems in place for it to be successful and effective. If you are thinking about establishing a company-wide employee volunteer program or if you are a solo entrepreneur and want to include time as a way to give back, here are 5 easy steps to create and employee volunteer program.

1. Align volunteer activities with the company giving mission. Volunteering should not be done on the fly or without consideration. Creating a branded giving program that sends out your message about what you care about is important. Take the time to select volunteer activities that closely align with your giving mission statement. Choosing activities that align with your giving mission generate the greatest benefits for the company, employees and the community.

2. Develop a volunteer program structure and policies. Written and communicated policies around volunteering keep the program focused and easy to manage. It lays the groundwork for what the company will do and how it will do it and when recognizing employees for the volunteer time, it keeps the process fair.

3. Leverage volunteer activities against other assets the company has to give. You need to know how much time you can afford to give back. Time is weighed against in-kind donations, cash contributions (including matching gift programs) and loaned expertise.

4. Communicate your volunteer efforts. Communicating your giving program generates enthusiasm within the company and good will within the community. The results and efforts of your volunteerism are linked to public relation and marketing efforts both internally and externally.

5. Reward engaged employees. Nothing speaks louder to employees than appreciation for what they do. Establishing a recognition program inspires others and is a great way to say ‘thank you’ for their contribution to the overall company giving program.

6. Measure and evaluate. You don’t know how successful your volunteer program is unless you take the time to evaluate it. Yes, volunteering is all good, but you this is the only way true success can be determined. Some of the areas to measure are employee satisfaction with the program and is it meeting your overall mission.

© 2007. Maggie F. Keenan, Ed.D. All rights reserved.



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Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit Sponsors Mitzvah Month: 1800 hours of Volunteerism

Shauna Nicholson asked:




The Jewish Federation, along with the Jewish Community Relations Council, has implemented an annual Mitzvah Day on December 25th for the past 10+ years.  This year December 25th falls on a Saturday, the Jewish Shabbat, which allowed us an opportunity to create other ways for people to volunteer their time.

Our answer?  Mitzvah Month!

 



 

What is Mitzvah Month, you ask? 31 days of volunteering, with a challenge to our community to collectively share 1800 hours of their time with others!  Please invite everyone to be a part of Mitzvah Month.

We are very excited to share that the Mitzvah Month website is up atwww.jewishdetroit.org/mitzvah.  Visitors to the site can:

Join in group activities that have already been planned. Create their own giving opportunity by choosing a place where they are needed and taking the time to help out. Log in their hours. Donate to the Annual Campaign (as an option for those who don’t volunteer or in addition to volunteering).

When you are done volunteering, come back and log your hours. Not enough time to volunteer?  Choose to help others through your gift of tzedakah.

FAQs:

Q: What happened to Mitzvah Day?

A: The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, along with the Jewish Community Relations Council, has implemented an annual Mitzvah Day on December 25th for the past 10+ years.  This year December 25th falls on a Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, which allowed us an opportunity to create other ways for people to volunteer their time.

Q:What types of volunteer activities can I participate in?A:Planned Activities:  Join others in group activities that have already been planned.  Look at the list of activities, click on the link or make a call, and register to help out!

Choose Your Own Activity: Create your own giving opportunity…Choose a place where you are needed and take the time to help out!  Have a favorite place to volunteer?  GREAT!

Looking for places to help?  Use the Mitzvah Month links to learn about places in the community that need your help.

Q: Why are we logging our hours?

A: Because everyone loves a challenge!  Logged hours will help show the spirit and committment of the Detroit Jewish community.

We hope you can join us! Tikkun olam!



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Compass Bank Online – A Review of Compass and Their Features

William Perry asked:




Compass bank online is a place many people choose to do their banking needs, as it’s a highly respected bank that offers exceptional internet banking as well.

The bank is actually a part of compass branches, which is centered in Alabama, and the bank has most of its locations in the southern US, in 6 different states.

In fact, it is one of the biggest twenty five banks in the country, and although it might not be one of the more popular banks that comes to mind, such as Chase or Bank of America, it definitely has a solid reputation, and if you do live in the southeast or southwest, you should consider them for your banking needs.

What financial services can you receive through compass bank online? There are many, and in addition to checking and savings accounts, you can look into getting a home or car loan, student loan, and also money management and investing advice. Most banks offer these services, so probably none of those shock you.

One of the things that compass bank is known for is it’s online banking, and with this, you can transfer money from one compass account to another with no hassles, see your current balance online, the recent checks that have just passed, pay your bills from the comfort of home, and of course, access it around the globe.

This is why it’s so hard to understand why so few people take advantage of compass bank online, or any form of online banking, for that matter. What happens if you are overseas, and don’t have access to a branch near you? You run into all kinds of problems that could easily be alleviated with an online banking account, and that’s what compass bank offers.

All you have to do is access a computer with an internet connection, hop online, and get access to the money you need to make your bank transfer. This is also very convenient any time you want to avoid the time consuming task of writing out checks and sending them in the mail, because all you have to do is make a bank transfer to whatever company you are looking to pay.

One thing you need to be careful of here, if you are using a public computer, is that you use a computer without any cookies so that it doesn’t remember the data you entered.

If not, somebody else who gets on after you can very easily access your account and wreak all kinds of havoc on you. This sounds obvious, but lack of caution in this area is what’s responsible for many people having their account hijacked, so don’t let this happen to you.

In addition, you don’t have to worry about anybody hacking into your account as long as you take the necessary security measures, as they have plenty of safety features in place to prevent this, as most banks do.

It just isn’t that dangerous to do online banking anymore, certainly not like in the old days, and there really is no excuse not to use compass bank online, as this can save you plenty of headaches down the road.



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Rise in Volunteerism Signals Giving In, Greedy Out

Sparxoo asked:




“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” J.F. Kennedy spoke these words in 1961 and their meaning has not faded since. At the time JFK gave this famous address, there was racial strife, inequality and our soldiers were fighting a war in another country. The former President understood the value in unity — working together to promote change.  Today, we face similar challenges in our political, economic and social systems and it is through volunteerism and altruism that we can move forward into a brighter future. The tremendous support  for the Haiti relief effort illustrates not only corporate, but personal responsibility.

Examples

Social Entrepeneurship — There has been a surge of social entrepreneurs in recent years. Social entrepreneurs blend the traditional financial model with a social mission. “It’s true that ‘just send the check’ philanthropy has been flatlining for years — the figure of about 1 percent of pre-tax profits for America’s corporate giving has hardly moved for decades,” writes the Washington Post. It’s not just about writing a check, it’s about rolling up your sleeves and being an active participate in impacting change.

Volunteerism — While our wallets might be pinched from the recession, our time is not. Eighty six percent of non-profit organizations are under financial stress. However, a recent survey conducted by MAVA found that unemployed workers are volunteering more frequently. Consequently, 50 percent of non-profits reported an increase in volunteer hours are their organization.

Stats

A CNCS report shows that about 8.2 million young people (ages 16-24) volunteered in 2008, compared with about 7.6 million in 2007 Fifty percent of non-profits reported an increase in volunteer hours are their organization Community volunteerism increased 31 percent in the last year.

Take Aways

Take advantage of the rise in volunteerism. Partner with an organization, such as Habitat for Humanity, to get your current customer base excited about your brand while making a difference. Embed a social cause into your organization to enhance your product offering. For instance, if your product costs $1.00, raise the price to $1.10 and donate $.9 to a charitable foundation. Include the consumer in the creation process as well as allowing them to just buy an end product. For instance, Threadless.com allows designers to submit a t-shirt graphic…

To read more about volunteerism and social entrepreneurship, go to Sparxoo, a digital marketing, branding and business development blog.



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